1. Field of the Disclosure
This invention relates to devices used to carry elongate items in a secure, convenient, and comfortable way where such items are typically carried with the assistance of a shoulder strap, and where such elongate items are musical instruments, such as various types of guitars or guitar-like instruments, keyboards, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Acoustic guitars, electric guitars and other, guitar-like instruments such as the electric bass are typically played with both hands, and each hand plays a specific role in the production of musical sounds. Ideally, both hands should be totally unencumbered while playing such an instrument. As a result, simultaneously holding and playing the instrument may be problematic, especially while the player is standing. The ideal solution would ensure that the instrument is held in a secure, convenient and comfortable way with absolutely no effort or thought needed on the part of the player; furthermore, the instrument should be suspended in a position that each player would consider to be the ideal position for the instrument according to their own preference.
To answer this need in part, such instruments are often played with the use of a shoulder strap. The shoulder strap normally attaches to the instrument at two points: approximately where the neck of the guitar joins the body and at the rear of the body. In both cases, the preferred points at which the shoulder strap attaches to the instrument are typically on the ribs of the instrument body, “ribs” being a term of art for the “sides” of the body. A strap button is screwed into the ribs at each of these two locations, “strap button” being a term of art for a small cylinder (generally slightly less than a half inch in height and in diameter, and generally made out of metal) with a notch cut in the middle of its curved surface. A small hole in each end of the shoulder strap is affixed to each of the strap buttons by fitting the inner rim of each hole into the strap button notch. The shoulder strap is intended to stay in place as a result of friction and the location and depth of the strap button notch. For instruments set up for right-handed players, the side of the shoulder strap is typically worn over the left shoulder and the strap passes diagonally down the player's back, is routed under the player's right arm, and attaches to the strap button at the rear of the instrument body. For instruments set up for left-handed players, the orientation of the shoulder strap is reversed accordingly.
One problem associated with the use of the strap button is that the shoulder strap may slip off of one or both of the strap buttons due to variations in factors such as shoulder strap design or manufacture, strap button design or manufacture, strap button location, the manner in which the instrument is held, the weight of the instrument, the weight distribution of various parts of the instrument, and/or shoulder strap adjustments made for the player's comfort or convenience. Devices called strap locks are intended to be used in place of, or in conjunction with, strap buttons, and are designed to prevent such unintended disconnects.
The use of the shoulder strap and strap locks have to a great extent addressed the need to hold a guitar-like musical instrument or other similarly shaped item in a secure and convenient way. However, an instrument held in this manner may still demonstrate an uncomfortable weight distribution that makes the instrument pitch and/or yaw. A typical form of this problem is known as neck dive, a term of art used to describe the situation where the neck of the instrument is prone to pitch downward with enough force that the player must consciously support the neck while playing the instrument. Over the course of weeks or months, needing to support the neck in this manner is uncomfortable, tends to interfere with proper playing technique, and may lead to strain-related medical conditions. Neck dive is commonly reported to be a common attribute of electric bass guitars due to their weight and weight distribution in comparison to acoustic and electric guitars.
The problem of muscle strain resulting from neck dive is particularly acute when playing the low positions, that is to say positions of the fingering hand on the fingerboard closest to the headstock where the players fingering arm is most extended and has the least leverage.
Finger pressure, resulting from the tendency of the headstock to yaw away from the player may or may not be a problem, depending on the player. Some players like the extra pressure on the fingers as an aid to firmly pressing the strings down. Others dislike the interference with techniques demanding a light touch. The apparatus of the disclosure is adaptable to either taste as will be made apparent below.
A basic operating principle of this device is to provide a rigid, relatively lightweight and adjustable device that allows the portion of the shoulder strap that passes over the player's shoulder to be attached to the instrument at a different range of locations than would be possible without the use of the apparatus of the present disclosure. The shoulder strap locations that the torque suppressor makes available to the player will allow the instrument to be worn in a comfortable position that completely solves the problems of neck dive and neck yaw, as well as addressing the other issues discussed herein.
Three-point support has been used in the past, though without the use of a rigid extension. In such a setup, a shoulder strap is generally provided that extends from the back of the guitar to the headstock, or at least high up the neck. A second strap then connects to the front of the body of the guitar to the shoulder strap, usually with a slideable metal ring. The user adjusts the length of this second strap to neutralize neck dive. Such a rig can be seen in Tonon, U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,173, issued 10 Aug. 1999, for a “Suspension of Musical Instruments,” (see FIG. 3). The problem with those systems, in lacking the rigid extensions of the present disclosure, is that neck dive is only neutralized at a single fixed position. As soon as the player lifts the headstock, the shoulder strap goes slack and the configuration causes the instrument body to fall down and away to the back, accompanied by neck dive. Pushing the headstock downward causes the shoulder strap to tighten and the instrument body to be pulled upward and forward, accompanied by neck lift. All of which is to say that the instrument always pushes back toward its original set position. This is fine for those who don't move their guitar around during a performance and play simple chords, but the benefits of these kinds of flexible three point suspension are minimized or lost completely when the performer moves the neck of the instrument up or down to any substantial degree. All but the most rigorously trained and disciplined performers will demonstrate some such movement. Further, the second strap obstructs “over-the-board” playing wherein the performer reaches over the fingerboard rather than under it. The so called “two-handed tapping” technique, for example, involves bringing the right arm over the fingerboard and the left hand under it (for right-handed players).